Nigerian Prophet, TB Joshua has said that ‘If the world goes to war in Syria, it will not stop there. It will affect all its neighbours. There will be no peace in that region for years.’
He added: “We should appeal to the Arab League to come together and talk to our brother.” God Almighty continues to speak through His servants, the prophets. Prophet T.B. Joshua gave words of prophecy concerning the pending war on Syria. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
We thank God for the prophetic warning and the instruction in righteousness and wisdom to handle such a situation. We pray that those involved will hear the voice of God and heed the warning. Listen as he tells the world what God has said about the situation.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In my soon to be 77 years as a citizen of the United States of America, having lived through Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the dark days of WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Watergate, 9/11 and all the other serious and profound events our beloved nation has been involved in over the last three quarters of a century, I have to say with all sincerity that I have never seen a president as confused, befuddled, impotent, insincere and as out of his depth as Barack Obama has become in dealing with the Syrian issue.
When you’re the leader of the free world, you don’t make statements you can’t back up and you don’t draw lines in the sand, watch your enemies cross them with impunity and go off and play a round of golf.
Obama painted himself and the nation into a corner with his “red line” statement and I truly believe he thought he would have unilateral international and domestic support only to find himself standing alone in the spotlight with egg on his face and a ticking political time bomb in his hand.
I don’t believe he ever had any intention of going through Congress and only decided to do so when he was left without the support of traditional allies and the disdain of a war weary American public who have begun to feel that America cannot be the international police force who has to bear the brunt of every catastrophe.
I think Obama is taking the vote for military authorization to Congress to bail himself out, to buy some time, somebody to share the blame if all goes wrong. Obama had already positioned war ships. All that was left to do was give the order to fire the missiles and at the 11th hour, after being rejected by the British parliament and put off by the French, he started having second thoughts and reached for the life preserver.
I, for one, am glad that Obama – for whatever reason – political expediency notwithstanding, did not facilitate the missile attack as it would have been largely symbolic and cosmetic and as he had given Assad enough warning to move the weapons out of harms way would have done little if anything to rid the world of chemical weapons.
It’s not that I think nothing should be done about weapons of mass destruction no matter where they’re used in the world, but I believe it’s not just the responsibility of the United States to enforce international law. If the civilized nations of the world shirk this duty, why should they think America should take on the job by itself?
America has done enough “sending signals”, symbolic gestures, getting involved in situations that don’t threaten our national interests or that of our allies.
America’s leaders should guard their tongues well and not issue spur of the moment reactions and empty threats. Our bite should be a lot worse than our bark and a presidential warning should be a dire and solemn caution, issued only once and followed up with swift and decisive action, not some half-baked puff of bravado that nobody really takes seriously.
What little bit of credibility America had in the Middle East just went out the window Friday afternoon, as a president who let his ego overload his common sense backed down from a tin horned dictator of a third world country, or at least that’s how it’s viewed in that part of the world.
The mettle of a president and the people he surrounds himself with is not proven until push comes to shove. This nation has entered a new phase in the war on terror and our relativity in the rest of the world and the road is going to be long, rocky and dangerous.
It remains to be seen how this embarrassing situation will play out. Will the president seek the council of the more experienced advice available to him in Congress? Or, will he remain defiant and continue to go it alone.
You’ve cost America a great deal this past week, Mr. President.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyat Rufai, announced yesterday that students caught from now on cheating during exams will face a five year jail term or N200,000 fine or both.
This decision was reached during the Federal Executive Council weekly meeting that held in Abuja yesterday. The new law states in part…
“(Any candidate caught cheating) shall not take or be allowed to take or continue the examination; in addition, he shall be prohibited from taking any examination held or conducted by or on behalf of the Council for a period of two years immediately following upon such contraventions. If a candidate aforesaid has already taken any papers at the examination, his result therefrom shall be cancelled. In addition, the candidate may be prosecuted and if found guilty, shall be liable on conviction to a fine of N200, 000 or imprisonment for a term of five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.” The Education Minister said the Ministry of Justice has been directed to take further necessary action on the subject.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Nollywood actress Stella Damasus and Senator Yerima were both guests on ‘The Stream’ a programme aired on International News Network Al Jazeera. They went head-to-head on the controversial issue of Child marriage.
Senator Yerima re-affirmed that he married his fourth wife when she was 14 years and they both now have a son together. He said he finds nothing wrong with his actions, claiming that his 14 year-old wife had reciprocated his feelings.
Stella Damascus counter-argued, citing several Child rights charters signed by Nigeria concerning marriage and the rights of the girl-child. She insisted that those breaking the agreements should be labelled criminals and prosecuted.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
It was fortuitous that I read Tunde Fagbenle’s Sunday column “The Sad Cankerworm of Ethnicity” while Kollington Ayinla’s 1993 album, Unity, played on in the background. In their own way, both offerings (despite a gap of 20 years between them) sued for peace among the various ethnic factions that constitute Nigeria.
Their moral suasion is a good call because the amount of energy we dissipate on proving my-tribe-is-better-than yours, and the breathless race to declare one’s tribe as the one that has been most disadvantaged by Nigeria should have been enough to do more productive things, like generate 40,000MW of electricity for instance.
The angst of the peacemakers who wonder why Nigerians cannot just get along, reminds us we can barely afford the luxury of the pettiness that arise from our factionalism; ask Congo, Syria and Zimbabwe.
From time to time, ethnic dramas occur in Nigeria and it is not all the time that people merely use words to settle their differences. Remember the Ife-Modakeke battles? The Ijaw-Ilaje conflict? The settler/indigene tussles that are still ongoing in Jos? We should be thankful that this time, the brouhaha that resulted from the Lagos deportation saga was rested on the social media where it gained traction initially. But then, while it lasted, it showed us to ourselves.
First, it was interesting that folk who have never written an article for once in their life on corruption or any of the many disablers of our corporate existence suddenly found their vitriolic pens and poured out venom unabashedly. Funnily enough, those who yelled loudest when their tribe was assaulted with hate-rhetoric conveniently looked away when their own ethnic champions wrote hate-draped rejoinders. Apparently, it is only “hate” when it targets your tribe?
And please do not think we have seen the end of this hate-mongering. By the time the 2015 campaign starts, we can be sure politicians will dredge up ethnic sentiments to manipulate the unwary. Folk who are currently observing an undeclared ceasefire will resume shelling.
It is all so funny, like all human tragedies are wont to be.
One other interesting thing about the recurrent ethnic war is that most commentators and analysts are unable to distinguish between prejudices; nativism; tribalism and bigotry. They throw everything into the same basket and label them “tribalism.” Of course, there is considerable overlap between the concepts but their planks are different. Without trying to glorify any, I must say that prejudices –and the acts they promote- are as old as human existence. Even the Holy Books are full of them; countless acts of genocide carried out by those who regard themselves as God’s chosen.
That is why it’s amusing when writers say there ought to have been an Igbo governor in Lagos but for tribalism. It is an ideal that Nigeria should strive for, no doubt, but that kind of aspiration forgets that the Nigerian federalism, as it is currently exists, is not the same as its asymptote – the US’. To start with, can an Ekiti indigene win a governorship election in Ogun state even though s/he has lived there all his/her life? When a non-Lagos citizen had to be governor in Lagos State, we saw the extent to which he went to obliterate his own identity. It is that bad.
From time immemorial, people have sought to differentiate themselves from those they consider others. Historical texts document how Ibadan people disdained Ijebu settlers at the dawn of the 20th Century. The homogeneity that seemingly exists among Yorubas grew out of economic and political permutation (same is true for other tribes of Nigeria). One of the mischief Lamidi Adedibu deployed against Lam Adesina’s governorship ambitions in 2003 was simply to spread the news that Adesina’s family migrated somewhere from Igbira-land. Didn’t the people of Ahiara in Imo State, recently, reject a Bishop of Anambra extraction for similar reasons? What makes Ahiara’s case more tragic is that it took place in a church context, the supposed bastion of love.
Should it matter where a wo/man comes from as long as it is the same nation? No. But of course, Nigeria is not yet a nation. A part of me wants to blame the artificialness (or emptiness, if you like) of the Nigerian identity for the recurrent ethnic war-war but then, our cultural acts of bigotry that seek what divides us at the expense of what unites us is not exclusive to Nigeria. In other diverse societies where people are differentiated according to their skin colour or similar features, bigotry still exists despite legislative pronouncements. We can hardly eliminate them; it is what reminds us of the human factor. In Nigeria, I believe ethnic fights occur because there are things certain people have always wanted to say to others but do not always get the chance.
While, however, it is natural to harbour bigotry, it is dangerous for modern societies to tolerate them. And that is why people like Femi Fani-Kayode –and all those who responded to him in similar hateful tone- should have been shut down from day one by all sides involved. When we tolerate their rant because they voice the things we want to say against our neighbours, we — unwittingly or not — prime our future children for slaughter. This is not mere alarmism; history tells us that “bitter truths” targeted against a people are never harmless. They are a precipitate of acts of violence. The Hutus of Rwanda did not merely wake up and slaughter a million Tutsis neighbours and friends on an impulse; the massacre was fuelled by all manner of hate prepping on radio. Those who turn themselves into spectators and applaud the bigots with vuvuzelas are as guilty as those who look away (and like Pontius Pilate, wash their hands off) are guilty of the same sin.
I admit that it is not easy not to take sides in an ethnic war because, no matter how much we try to suppress it, there is still a tribalist in all of us (and that is why the term “detribalised Nigerian” is the emptiest phrase ever invented) that constructs our attitudes, perspectives and general outlook. We cannot easily do away with such loyalties but for the sake of the higher good, we can at least work with them.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
“When the head is rotten, it affects the whole body”
— A popular African proverb
At the inception of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2011, Nigeria’s first minority president, the man whom much hope had been invested to clean the Aegean Stable shocked the entire nation. It was in the answer he gave to what had seemed to be an innocuous question that had left Nigerian bewildered. Jonathan had been asked why he had not deemed it fit to set a personal example in transparency by declaring his assets. The interviewer sought to know why he had not fulfilled the constitutional obligation. He wanted the President to tell Nigerians when he would submit his assets to public scrutiny as an example to other public officials.
The President’s response hit Nigerians like a thunderbolt. “I don’t give a damn about asset declaration”, he replied. It was shocking. But unknowingly to many Nigerians, the President’s response at the time is predictive of the rot that characterised his government today. It is the reason why corruption has become a raging monster in this administration.
The signs are everywhere.
The first victims of the President’s apathy towards fighting corruption are the anti-corruption agencies. The agencies have all become moribund in the over two years of Jonathan’s administration. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is dead and buried. Forget its latest muscle flexing. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission does not exist. The Code of Conduct Bureau exists only in name. The agencies have all been reduced to toothless bulldogs. The EFCC which was once the nemesis of corrupt individuals both in the public and private sectors has not been able to secure any conviction. Looking at the situation critically, It is not a coincidence. if the president of our country who is meant to live by example, who is supposed to be an symbol of transparency does not give a damn; why do Nigerians still expect the agencies to perform their duties? No wonder corruption reigns. It will get worse in 2015 and beyond if this administration continues in power.
As if the inaugural shocker to the nation was not enough, the President lent his name to impunity. In March 2012, the President pardoned his former principal, the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepriye Alamieyeseigha, and washed him clean of all corruption charges. Never mind that the former governor had been found guilty and condemned over allegations of corruption as governor. When Nigerians cried foul, the President brushed it off and just carried in his “I don’t give a damn” manner.
Then came the revelations of massive corruption in the oil sector. Billions of funds which were allegedly paid to oil marketers for products not supplied. Nigerians were outraged. Till today, none of the indicted individuals in the sector has been prosecuted. They may never be brought to book because the president does not give a damn. In the years gone by, at least before the inception of this government, the fear of the EFCC was the beginning of wisdom. The agency did not only prosecute public officials, it also made life uncomfortable for big time fraudsters or 419ners. The eagle eyes of the agencies also visited the private sector. It forced corporate players to imbibe accountability. For example, many high ranking bank executives were brought to trial. Alas, those are forgotten years. In President Jonathan era, the agencies have all gone to sleep. They are not even hibernating. They have all shut down. Now all pending cases of corrupt officials die a natural death because our president does not give a damn. A while ago, the EFCC kicked up some dust in the failed Lagos-Ibadan Expressway contract breach. But it was all a ruse. I did predict then on this page that the agency was chasing shadows. It will not be an exercise in hyperbole that the legacy the Jonathan administration may yet bequeath to Nigeria is corruption. How does one explain, for example, the impunity currently going in the Niger Delta where the country is losing billions to oil thieves unchecked? What is responsible for the rise in oil theft in Jonathan administration? Is it not too much of a coincidence that oil theft has risen at a time a Niger Deltan is the president? In the infamous interview Jonathan had with Christine Amanpour early in the year, he blamed the international community for the crime of oil theft. Haba! Mr President! What really has the international community got to do with oil theft in the backwaters of Niger Delta? How about billions spent on the protection of the pipelines? How come oil theft increased when ex-militants have been contracted to protect the vast oil fields of the delta? These are questions that beg for answers.
It fits conveniently into the failure of this government to fight corruption. It will increase in the coming years. Now the entire fabric of this government is corrupt. Every organ of government is left to its on device. The executive is bloated. Our legislators are said to be the highest paid in the world. The respected Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili recently revealed that one trillion had been spent on our National Assembly in eight years. It’s all part of the vicious circle of corruption. No wonder the relationship between the executive and lawmakers is cosy. Everybody is “chopping the national cake’’. No wonder also that the National Assembly is always too quick to acquiesce. The judiciary is also not left out. Judges are being sacked for perverting the course of justice. It does not matter. Our president does not give a damn. Not surprising, this administration’s romance with corruption has caught the attention of international observers. The anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in its corruption perception index 2012 rated Nigeria as the 35th most corrupt countries in the world. Nigerians thought we were doing much worse.
In the report, Nigeria was 139th out of the 176 countries surveyed. The 2013 Global Survey by the same agency stated that 84 per cent of Nigerians surveyed by TI believed that corruption had increased in the past two years, a higher percentage than almost any other country in the world. Troublingly, 75% of those surveyed also — said the government was, at best, ineffective at fighting corruption. TI says Nigeria is heavily dependent on the oil industry, yet the government refuses to act on accusations that the oil companies are underreporting the value of the resources they extract and the billions of dollars tax they owe. The report adds that “certain transparency groups also blamed politicians for encouraging corruption.
The United States is also worried. The American Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence McCulley, stated this in an editorial published on the U.S. embassy website. McCulley called on President Jonathan to show more sincerity in the fight against corruption; pointing out that corruption causes economic hardship and helps spread violence and other forms of violent criminality. Hear him: “Corruption in Nigeria diverts financial resources from building roads, hospitals, schools, and otherwise investing in infrastructure that would serve businesses, attract foreign investment, and create jobs. Ultimately, corruption serves to promote criminal and extremist activity by creating barriers to legitimate economic endeavours.”
Unfortunately, our President does not give a damn.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Two weeks after his son flew from Benin City to Lagos in the wheel compartment of an aircraft belonging to Arik Air, Daniel Ohikhena’s father denies claims that he abandoned his family, writes JAMES AZANIA
Little is known about Daniel Ohikhena, the 13-year-old stowaway who flew from Benin City to Lagos in the wheel compartment of a plane belonging to Arik Air, by his schoolmates at Ogbe Junior Secondary School in the Edo State capital.
Shortly before his celebrated escapade, Daniel’s mother, Mrs. Evelyn Ohikhena, had withdrawn him from a private secondary school for want of money to pay his tuition fees. She had enrolled him in OJSS, which was about 500 metres from her residence.
Investigation by our correspondent shows that the teenager had spent only a term in his new school before embarking on the dangerous adventure. A source said, on condition of anonymity, that Daniel joined the school, popularly known as ‘Ezoti Junior’ just before the end of the third term.
A youth named Festus, who also resides in the same neighbourhood as the stowaway boy, said the latter was not popular in the area.
“We hardly know him. It was recently that we heard he lives in the neighbourhood. I have not seen much of him. He was very quiet at school. I have not known him for long,” he said.
However, events took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when the boy’s father, Osaigbovo Ohikhena, 44, materialised as if from nowhere. Earlier, his wife (Daniel’s mother) had claimed that they did not live together.
Mr. Ohikhena, who is a driver by profession, said he had been separated from his family for a year because of a misunderstanding between him and Daniel’s mum. But he denied the latter’s claim that he abandoned his family.
“I always pay my children’s school fees and provide money for their feeding regularly, contrary to claims that I abandoned my family. After I lost my job, I decided to move to a cheaper apartment and told my wife that they should move in with me. But she refused and continued to stay in the three-bedroom flat. My new residence is located on Siluko Road. I decided to come here (Government House) to tell the world that I am the father of Daniel.
“Initially, when I heard the news, I thought my son was kidnapped. But my wife said I should calm down and she promised to get back to me when everything is finally okay. I never dreamt of going to America nor am I married to another woman. My wife refused to give the DSS my phone number when they asked for it,” he said.
Giving an insight to what could have been responsible for the teenager’s strange behaviour, an expert and sociologist at the University of Benin, Dr Kingsley Omoyibo, described him as suffering from maladjusted personality, due to inability to mix. Omoyibo did not only warn against labelling the teenager a criminal because of his action; he recommended that the youngster be made to undergo rehabilitation.
Noting that what happened to Daniel could have resulted from his experience in his home, the don urged the boy’s parents to live up to their responsibilities in order to prevent untoward behaviour from their children in the future.
He said, “Like we learnt, the boy is a recluse. He has a withdrawn personality because he does not mix. This is why he acts the way he does. This condition is capable of making him do damage not only to himself, but to his siblings and his immediate environment.
“The boy needs to be rehabilitated. Although we cannot say that his attempt to stowaway in the wheel compartment of an aircraft is criminal behaviour, it is a devious act that must have been propelled by lack of adequate parental care. I do not know the background, but what we can extrapolate from this is that the home is not stable.
“You will find out that there is a lacuna in the upbringing of the boy and consequently, it has affected the way he reasons and appreciates societal issues. The way he sees the complexity of society is different from a child that has complete socialization. The boy is suffering from maladjusted personality.
“Indeed, that child, I still maintain, is not a criminal. In the process of maladjustment, he is exposed to odious things. For a child to keep all night watching films, it tells a lot about his state of mind.”
Now that a group known as De RAUFS has offered the teenage stowaway scholarship up to university level, it is the duty of his parents to seek ways of reshaping his character for a better future.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday warned that the seats of about 124 PDP members in the National Assembly would be declared vacant if they failed to withdraw their loyalty to the breakaway faction of the party known as the New PDP.
Tukur, at a news conference at the Wadata House headquarters of the party in Abuja, also described the promoters of the New PDP as “undemocratic and unpatriotic elements,” who are bent on destroying “our common destiny.”
But he was referred to as “a joker” by the leader of the faction, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, and the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Zakari Mohammed, who advised him to study the Electoral Act properly before making a pronouncement on such an issue.
On Monday, 26 senators and 57 House of Representatives members announced their loyalty to the New PDP which other key officials are a former National Secretary of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and a former Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja.
Forty five members of the House of Representatives had earlier identified with the group that also has a former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Governors Sule Lamido(Jigawa); Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); and Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), in its fold.
An angry-looking Tukur said at the brief news conference that the leadership of the PDP would do everything within its powers to deal with anyone that attempted to undermine the authority of the party.
He added, “All persons elected on the platform of our great party at all levels who identify with these enemies of the oneness and greatness of our party shall have their seats declared vacant as required by law.
“We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that such persons and indeed, any other individuals who attempt to subvert the leadership of the PDP shall reap in full, the consequences of such actions.
“I wish to emphasise that the PDP has adequate mechanism for internal conflict resolution. All party members are therefore advised to ventilate their grievances through this medium.
“There is only one lawfully recognised PDP and I am firmly in charge.”
Referring to Baraje, Oyinlola, and Jaja as “impostors,” Tukur, who was flanked by the majority of the members of the newly constituted National Working Committee of the party, enjoined the Police and other security agencies to treat them as such.
He said, “Gentlemen of the press, you are aware of the current developments in our great party. Our reason for being here is to inform you without any iota of doubt that the PDP has no faction and there is neither room nor reason whatsoever for such a claim under any guise.
“The PDP has only one duly elected National Executive Committee under my chairmanship. I wish therefore to state with all emphasis that any group of persons parading themselves as leaders of NEC or any other organ of our party are impostors and I urge all Nigerians, especially the security agencies and other institutions of democracy to regard them as such.
“Let me state categorically that the PDP as the sole custodian of the sacred mandate of over 160 million Nigerians and which, in the last 14 years has lifted high, the banner of democracy will not fold its arms while some undemocratic and unpatriotic elements destroy our common destiny by causing divisions and confusion among the people.
“Consequently, we shall ensure that any person who is not duly elected into any leadership position in our great party and has not been duly assigned any role but goes ahead to arrogate such to himself will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
Tukur refused to field questions from journalists after the short press briefing.
But, Baraje declared Tukur and those in the PDP NWC as unfit to lead the ruling party.
Baraje said, “They are all jokers. They don’t know what is party politics. We are not surprised because they are ignorant of party politics.
“In any case, the process of declaring the seats of members of the national or state assembly vacant or calling lawmakers back is well known in the constitution. To wake up and say he is going to recall people back or declare their seats vacant shows that he is ignorant.
“Tukur is not fit to to be called the national chairman of the PDP.”
In the House of Representatives, its spokesman, Mohammed, who is also one of the 57 members of the House that on Monday declared support for the New PDP, said Tukur ‘should study the Electoral Act properly, before jumping to conclusions.”
His counterpart in the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, could not be reached for comments as his mobile telephone number indicated that he was out of reach. A text message sent to him was not responded to.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Sarah had been told all her life she could do anything she wanted, that success was right around the corner. But now, stuck in a menial job at 25, with no big career in sight, she—like many twentysomethings—was feeling the pangs of disillusionment.
This sense of disillusionment often stems from the lies we’ve been told and have told ourselves. We’ve been lied to, and these lies are holding us back.
You are not alone in your struggle, questions, wondering what’s next?, now what? or do I have what it takes?
Too many twentysomethings are driving through the twists and turns of their twenties with windshields covered in mud, lies and half-truths. And then we wonder why so many of us have crashed?
We need to hose these lies off right now or spend our twenties stuck on the side of the road.
If we’re going to walk forward with the answers to the major questions we should be asking, successfully navigating our twenties, then we need to stop believing the following lies right now:
1. I’m the Only One Struggling
I would love to lock this lie away in a Serbian prison and give the key to a pack of Arctic wolves to defend. You are not alone in your struggle, questions, wondering what’s next?, now what? or do I have what it takes?
Our twenties are tough. That’s the truth. Too many twentysomethings are struggling through a quarter-life crisis all alone.
We all need help. We all need support. We all need nudges, prompts, advice and encouragement.
No one has it all figured out. The twentysomethings who think they do are in for the biggest shock of all.
2. I Should Be Successful by Now! Like Right Now!
I fully expected to walk straight into a crazy-successful twentysomething life with accolades, salaries, bonuses, a big-old-fat-book-deal, and a plethora of people who wanted to learn my secrets to success, all by 23 years old. Maybe 25 if I really hit some serious setbacks.
I didn’t realize that success takes time—loads of time.
Success is not an Egg McMuffin, delivered to us for a $3, three minute investment.
No, success is the Sistine Chapel—it takes years, pain, frustration, thousands of brushes, colors and crumpled up sketches before you have your masterpiece.
Countless famed figures we idolize—such as Abraham Lincoln—failed drastically in their twenties. Even Jesus, who never failed at anything, didn't begin his active, recorded ministry until he was in his thirties.
Success is not a sprint, it’s an Ironman marathon, and our twenties aren’t really about running the actual race. No, our twenties are simply about building our endurance so that we can run the race in the future.
If you take one step towards your dream today, you are a success. Success happens in the details.
3. Life is Not Turning Out Like it Was Supposed To
Well, kind of. Yes, life is not turning out like it was supposed to, but what the heck is supposed to? There is no supposed to. Supposed to is a lie. Supposed to is built on the perception of someone else’s perceived success.
Live your life right now exactly as it is and do your best to keep moving forward into where you want to go. That’s what you’re supposed to do.
4. I Don’t Have What it Takes
I 100 percent guarantee you have what it takes. I triple-stamp a double-stamp, 100 percent money-back guarantee you have what it takes. It’s just going to take some time to figure out what exactly “it” is.
Our twenties are a process, not a surprise party. You don’t just walk into the door and all of the sudden your calling jumps out from behind the couch. God has put all of us on a journey and as much as we might want to dash to the finish line, we're going to have to take our time to let Him teach us what exactly that finish line is.
Our twenties are a process, not a surprise party. You don’t just walk into the door and all of the sudden your calling jumps out from behind the couch.
You are extremely talented at something. We just need to start pulling off the layers to get a glimpse of what that something is.
5. I am a Failure
The only failure of our twenties would be if we never had any.
The only failure of our twenties is if we fail and then call ourselves failures.
Our twenties are going to be riddled with failure. Anyone that tells you otherwise is a liar. But you don't have to define yourself by your failures.
Failure is not a period, it’s a comma. And only if you stop trying will you really fail.
There’s only one way to be successful in our twenties—fail, tweak, then try again
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Dangote Group on Wednesday sealed a $3.3bn medium term deal with 11 local and foreign banks to finance the building of a petrochemical plant consisting of a refinery and fertiliser plant in the country.
The investment initiative is in form of a loan agreement for the construction of a petrochemical plant to be located at the Olokola Free Trade Zone in Ondo and Ogun states.
The refinery, according to the President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, will become operational in 2016 and generate over 10,000 direct jobs and end the importation of refined petroleum products into the country with the attendant multiplier effects on the manufacturing sector.
When completed, he said the refinery would to be the largest in Africa, thus turning Nigeria into a petroleum exporter.
The loan facility was coordinated globally by Standard Chartered Bank and was co-financed in Nigeria by Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Ecobank Nigeria Limited and Fidelity Bank Plc.
Other co-financiers are First Bank of Nigeria Limited, United Bank for Africa Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, FirstRand Bank and Standard Bank of South Africa Limited.
Speaking at the signing of the loan agreement in Abuja on Wednesday, Dangote said the investment was a way of dealing with the threat posed to Nigeria’s economy following the discovery of shale oil and gas by buyers of the country’s crude.
The investment, he said, was also a good step to support the Federal Government’s efforts at diversifying the economy.
Dangote said “As an investor who believes in Nigeria, knows Nigeria well and whose prosperity was made in Nigeria, we have responded to the challenge with our recent decision to invest over $9bn in a refinery/petrochemical and fertiliser complex to be located at the OKLNG Free Trade Zone. This complex will be the largest industrial complex project ever in the history of our great nation.
“Funding for the project will come from a $3.3bn medium term loan, the agreement for which we are signing today, and also an additional $2.25bn from the Development Financial Institutions to augment our equity contribution of $3.50bn.”
The business mogul pointed out that when operational, 2.75 metric tonnes per annum of Urea and Ammonia would be produced from the fertiliser plant, while the refinery would have the capacity to process 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Speaking after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House, Dangote gave an assurance that Nigeria would no longer import petroleum products once the plant commenced operation.
Dangote met the President in company with some officials of his company, members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and chief executives of the participating banks, who raised the $3.3bn credit.
He said, “Now, Nigeria is going to be taken out of the list of countries that import petroleum products. We will produce 20 million metric tonnes, which is equivalent to what Nigeria consumes currently.
“Today, we did the signing ceremony, the vice-president came to witness the signing but we insisted on coming to thank Mr. President so much for his policies.
“Without good government policies, there is no way the private sector can invest in Nigeria, because we are not Father Christmas at all. The policies have to be right.”
Also speaking at the event, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, associated the deal to the success of the banking sector reforms by the central bank.
This, he noted, had boosted lending to the real sector.
Sanusi said the success of the reform was a testimony to the fact that Nigerian banks could offer credit when any project that could add value to the real sector was being provided.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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